Cold Fire
by animated fly
Summary: Betrayal comes between Ron and Ginny, can love overcome hatred?


**Title**: Cold Fire.   
**Rating**: PG-13 for violence.   
**Pairings**: Harry/Hermione, Harry/Ginny, Fred/George twincest if you're looking for it ^_~   
**Spoilers**: None, set in the summer between 6th and 7th year.   
**Summary:** Betrayal comes between Ron and Ginny. Can love overcome hatred?   
**A/N**: I own none of these wonderful, wonderful character; I just like using them! Feedback if you want to, not really bothered.. Don't sue me for the lack of Harry, him I don't like :p   
**Website**: 

**~ begin ~**

Harry gazed out of his window. "His window" - it was really Ron's window as he was sharing his room - but since he'd left the Dursleys and moved in with the Weasleys in the summer of his 15th birthday, everyone had come to calling it "his window" too.   
On the window ledge was a blank sheet of parchment, and on the floor, many discarded attempts at a letter, written in his boyish script.   
_"To Ron"_   
_"To a good friend, Ron"_   
_"Dear Ron" (no, that was too..girly)_ He sighed. How do you start a letter of such enormity as this one? He decided to come back to the addressing.. the main letter would be hard enough. _(Ron)   
I am fully aware of your feelings for Hermione, and I am so sorry that it was me she chose to date._   
He drew a breath. This would be brusque, he hoped to soften it up a little in the second draft.   
_I hope you won't hate me for causing her the pain I am about to, or the reason for it. I am so grateful for all that your family has done for me and I am sorry it has to be like this..."_

Ron had paled after the first few lines of the letter, found lying on his orange pillow, but now his eyes grew steely and his lips narrow. _...but Ginny and I must be true to our feelings. It was alright at school as I could make up excuses of having detentions to see her, but living in her house with Hermione staying here also, is too hard on the both of us. I have left to stay a while with Sirius, I hope when I see you again you will have found it possible to forgive your sister and your best friend.   
Sincerely, Harry_

He folded the letter up with calm, precise movements that showed just how deep his anger went. This was a cold fire inside of him, and the worst thing, it burned for Ginny as well as Harry.   
He remember his one kiss with Hermione, and how guilty they had both felt when the confessed to Harry. He realised now the calmness with which Harry had taken it was due to the fact he didn't love her.. and now he was having an affair with his sister!   
He strode downstairs to Ginny's door, the muscles that had begun to grow when he hit puberty flexing. Slamming it open, he didn't notice Hermione folding up clothes in the corner, but she noticed him and jumped on his back as his fist came within inches of his sister's face.   
"RON!" she yelled, as his fist made contact with a cheek, and blood flowed from Ginny's mouth.   
"Ron! Get a hold of yourself" shouted Hermione.   
Ron looked startled, then looked in fear at his sister cowering up against the headboard, sobbing.   
"Ginny... I..." he started, but a slap from Hermione stopped him.   
"Get out" she hissed. 

Ron walked out the door in a daze, oblivious to Hermione comforting Ginny, and his brothers running up the stairs.   
He walked into the bathroom and put his head under the cold tap, the icy water piercing through the jumbled mess of thoughts in his head.   
_Ginny and Harry... in..love? Hermione.. poor, poor Hermione! Hermione hating him.. his fist on Ginny's cheek.._   
He gasped and choked on water. Oh God, what had he done?   
A thump on his back brought him back to the bathroom. He looked up to see Fred standing over him, and George barring the door to his parents and Percy. Ginny's door was closed.   
"Ron, what's wrong? Here, don't talk, come with us.." Fred was leading him into the twins sanctum, where Molly wouldn't follow them, even in a situation such as this. 

He was crying now, huge, shuddering gasps overwhelming him as he sat on the twins' kingsized bed.   
".. I.. hit her.. I hated Ginny, and I hit her.." he said suddenly, almost in awe of the anger that had fuelled him.   
"We know. George got the letter from your room. We understand that you must be feeling muddled and confused right now, but you can't let this change the way you feel about Ginny.. or about Harry."   
"We'll help you get through this" added George, putting his arms around his brothers, letting Ron cry into his shoulder. 

In Ginny's room, there was silence. After Ron's departure, Hermione had locked and barred the door, then sat with her arms around the still-bunched up Ginny.   
Eventually, "don't hate Ron. I know about you and Harry.." her voice shook slightly. "But I didn't hold it against you. Neither will Ron. Things go wrong, but we will pull through, I promise..."   
Ginny's shaking subsided a little. She turned to Hermione. "I'm sorry.."   
"Hey, boyfriends can't come between friends like us. Come on kid, we'll be good." Hermione hoped Ginny wouldn't hear the note of falseness in her words. 

The next few days were tense. Nobody asked about Harry, although everyone worried. Molly had been told by the twins that he had been seeing Ginny, and had guessed that Ron had reacted badly. She didn't say anything, but gave Ron, Ginny and Hermione extra porridge and syrup at breakfast, although they ate separately. It was probably her steadfast love for them all that helped Ginny and Ron through this time. 

The two siblings met in the hall, the first time they'd seen each other in three days. Neither said anything, but when Ginny started back in fear at Ron's hand reaching towards her, the tears in his eyes made her stop. She briefly touched his hand with her own, then quickly drew away and into her room.   
He gazed after her, as Hermione came up and put a hand on his shoulder.   
"You'll make it. Weasleys always do." 

**~ end ~**

Sorry for the vast amounts of cheese at the end, but I hope you liked it despite that! Review if you feel like it!


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